Buddha Bar facts for kids
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| Bar | |
| Founded | 1996 |
| Headquarters | 15, in various countries,
Paris
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The Buddha-Bar is a famous group of bars, restaurants, and hotels. It was started by Raymond Vișan, a French-Romanian businessman. The first Buddha-Bar opened in Paris, France, in 1996.
This place quickly became very popular, especially with young, well-off visitors and tourists. It was known for its unique and cool music played by DJs. The Buddha-Bar became famous around the world for its special music albums. These albums, called Buddha Bar compilation albums, feature relaxing "lounge" and "chill-out" music, along with "world music." They are released under the Buddha-Bar name by George V Records. People often visit Buddha-Bar locations because of this calming, "Zen" style of music.
What is the Buddha-Bar like?
The first Buddha-Bar in Paris is a fancy bar and restaurant. It has an "oriental lounge" feel, meaning it looks like something from Eastern cultures. It serves Asian cuisine, which is food from Asia.
The main dining area has two floors. A very large statue of Buddha is the center of attention. Upstairs, the bar is shaped like a big, fancy dragon. The idea for this look came from the building itself. It was an old basement with a middle floor (a mezzanine). This made the designers think of an Eastern temple with a Buddha statue.
Many Buddha-Bar places have opened in other cities around the world. Some of these include Marrakesh, Beirut, Belgrade, Dubai, London, Manila, Mauritius, Baku, Tbilisi, Kyiv, Moscow, Saint Petersburg, Caracas, Mexico City, Monte Carlo, Prague, Mykonos, and Santorini. However, some locations have closed down. For example, a Buddha-Bar in Washington, D.C., closed after two years because it didn't get good reviews. Another one in New York City had to change its name before closing and then reopening in a different spot with new owners.
Music Albums
The Buddha Bar compilation albums have been released since 1999. These albums are collections of music. In 2001, a music critic from Billboard Magazine said a Buddha-Bar album was one of the best music events of the year. He noted that the restaurant and its music were closely linked. He said, "Buddha Bar is not only a good restaurant in France but also one of the best music experiments to come out of France in the past few years."
Buddha-Bar has also created some original songs for its albums. Two examples are "Buddha Bar Nature" and "Buddha-Bar Ocean." These songs were written and produced by Arno Elias. He also composed "Amor Amor" from the Buddha Bar 2 album. The "Buddha-Bar Ocean" release even came with a DVD that showed videos of nature and the ocean.
See also
In Spanish: Buddha Bar para niños
